Feed-roller expansion-gear for wqod-planing machines



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No ModeL) J C. WILGKE. FEED ROLLER EXPANSION GEAR FOR woqn PLANING MACHINES; No. 373,956.

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Patented Nov. 29, 17887.

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(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. O. WILOKE. FEED ROLLER EXPANSION GEAR FOR WOOD PLANING MACHINES,

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,J. G. WILOKE;

' FEED ROLLER EXPANSION GEAR FOR WOOD PLANING MACHINES. No. 373,956. Patented Nov. 29, 1887.

- WETNESSES- v INV N W MK R UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JULIUS G. WIL'OKE, OF. AURORA, ILLINOIS.

FEED-ROLLER EXPANSION-GEAR FOR WQOD-PLANING MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,956, dated November 29, 1887.

A pplication filed June 25, 1855.

To a. whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, J ULIUs O. WILCKE,8. eitizen of the United States. residing at Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements in Feed Roller Expansion-Gears for Wood-Planing'Machines or Kindred Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My in'vention has reference to that class of wood-planing machines in which the lumber is pushed toward the cutter-cylinders by means of friction rollers. The lower rollers are driven by a train of gears, which receive their motion through the agency of a pulley from the counter-shaft. The lumber is placed between them and the upper feeding -rollers, which are made to bear against it by the action ofaspringorweight. The upper feeding-rollers are rotated simultaneously and evenly with the lower rollers. They are set to adapt them to thickness of the board or lumber, and must yield sufficiently to pass over small obstructions caused by roughness or uneven thickness of the stuff. To this time the motion of the upper rollers has been imparted from the lower ones, either by means of star or finger gears or by the so-called four -wheel expansiongears. The finger-gear gives good satisfaction where the variation in thickness of the lumber is not more than one to two inches. For larger variations the fingers are getting too long, and the motion of the rollers becomes uneven and jerking.

The four-wheel expansion is well adapted for various thicknesses of lumber if the same is about of even thickness. If this is not the case, and the upper roller is suddenly raised over an obstruction in the shape of a knot. a lump of ice, 8tc., the loose idler-gear, with the gear fastened to the upper roller shaft, is caused to ride on the stationary gear, which is held by the lower-roller gear, and thus an additional rotary movement is imparted to the loose gear and the upper roller, besides its regular rotation obtained from the lower roller. In other words, one roller travels faster than the other. It must slide on the lumber, thereby causing undue strain upon the teeth of the gears and often breakage The object of my invention is to arrange a system of gears in such a manner as to impart a rotary motion to the feed-rollers of a woodplaning machine or kindred machinery of an Serial No. 109,731. (No model.)

even and uniform nature, which will not vary the various thicknesses of the stuff passing between them.

In the drawingsforming part of this specification, Figure 1, Sheet 1, shows a series of the left-hand side of a planingmachine. Fig.

2, Sheet 2, shows the rollers with their gearing as seen from the right-hand side of a planingmachine. Fig. 3, Sheet 1, shows a vertical cross-section to line a: m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, Sheet 1, shows a vertical section through the left-hand frame on line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 5, Sheet 1, shows a vertical cross-section through the right-hand frame onlinezzof Fig. 2. Fig. 6, Sheet 2, shows a plan or top view of the train of gears arranged at the right-hand side of the machine. Figs. 7, 8, and 9, Sheet 2, show detail constructions ofseveral parts. Fig.

10, Sheet 2, and Figs. 11, 12, and 13, Sheet 3, show modifications in the manner of transmitting the motion from one side of the machine to the other. Fig. 14:, Sheet 3. shows a modification in the arrangement of the gearing.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts.

I proceed to describe my invention as ar- 8cranged for woodplaning machines, though it will be seen that it may be applied to other classes of machines, wherever similar systems of rollers are required, with equal advantage.

The lower feed-rollers, A A, are mounted on shafts a a, which rest in stationary boxes a a. The upper feed-rollers,B B, are mounted on the shafts b b and rest in boxes I) b, which are allowed to slide verticaily between the horns or guides or n, which form part of the 0 side of the frame N. The boxes b b are set to any desired height by means of a screw and held down by a spring or weight.

On one side of the frame the main drivinggears G O are mounted to the shafts a a of the lower rollers. On the other side of the frame the spur-gears D Dare mounted to the shafts b b of the upper feed-rollers, B B. In the drawings the first are shown on the left-hand frame; but this arrangement might be reversed, according to the construction of the machine in general. The gears O O, which form part of the train of gears arranged alongthe feed-pulley to the rolls, are connected by while the rollers are being expanded to suit 55 feeding-rollers with their gearing as seen from 60 side and the latter on the right-hand side of the too side of the frame, transmitting the motion from the idler-gear E, which is provided with a long hollow hub, e, resting in the fixed journal box 0, situated between the horns a a, some distance above the top of the rollers A A. On the other side of the frame, Fig. 2, the spur-gears D D are connected by a train of gears consisting of the idlers G G and the transmitting-gear F. A frame, H, Fig. 7, which embraces the boxes I) b on the right hand side of the rollers B B and takes part of their vertical movements, serves to support the gears G G and F. This latter is also provided with a long hollow hub, f, which .rests in the journal P on frame H, while the idlers G G are pivoted on stud-pins g {1. It may here be mentioned that said frame H, instead of being supported by the boxes I) b, may be arranged so as to be guided vertically between two horns, one at each side of the frame H, which is provided with suitable apertures to receive the boxes b b of the rollershafts.

The gears E and F are situated directly opposite each other. The one is stationary, while the other will partake of the vertical movement of the frame H and upper feed-roller, B. The main object is now to connect the gears E and F by a shaft which will positively trans mit the rotary motion of the gears, yet be allowed to diverge in a limited degree from the axis of the gears. As shown in Figs. 1. 2, and 3, the outer portion of the hole in the hub e or f of the gear E or F is made square, and the shaft I is upset at its ends, which are formed into square knots or knobs 2' i, fitting the square part of the hole. In Fig. 13 the square knob i is substituted by a star shaped ball, in which form a greater amountof wearingsurface is .obtained. Instead of forming the hole fitting the knob in the hub, a ring or cup, m, is inserted therein, which closely fits the knob. Thus said ring may be made of different material or tempered.

In Fig. 12 the knob i is substituted by a pair of cross-shaped knuckles, which fit into respective grooves h h in the cupm. (Shown in Fig. 11.) In the construction shown in Fig. 10, Sheet 2, the gears E and Fare mounted on short shafts or studs 6 and f, which rest in the respective bearings O and P. These studs 0 andf are then coupled to a shaft, I, by the sleeves s s, forming universal joints. Thus a positive yet pliable connection between the gears E and F may be obtained.

By either of the abovedescribed methods the motion will be transmitted from the gear E, through the agency of shaft I, to the spurgear F in an even and uniform manner. The gear F will neither gain nor lose in velocity toward the gear E. The latter receives its motion from the main driving-gear Cl, affixed to the lower feed-roller, while the former transfers this motion to the upper rolls through the idler-gears G G and spur-gears D D.

From the drawings it will be seen at once that one of the fundamental conditions for the true working of the rolls consists in the correct choice of the number of teeth on the rollergears O G and D D in relation to the number of teeth on the transmitting-gears E and F. It is evident that the ratio of teeth on gear 0 to that on gear E must be equal to the ratio of teeth on gear D to that on gear F, while the idlers have no effect in regard to velocity,but simply serve to revert the direction of the mo tion.

Fig. 14 on Sheet 8 shows a diagram or sketch of another mode of arranging the gears. The idler K is inserted between the gearsG and E on the left-hand side of the frame. This reverts the motion ofgear E,shaft I, and gear F, which latter now matches directly into the spur-gears D D 011 the upper rollers. The idlers G G are dispensed with.

The invention has been described as applied for two sets of feed-rollers, as I believe it to operate there and thus to its best advantage, especially in wood-working machines,in front of theknife-cylinders,where rough and uneven lumber is to be pushed forward.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In wood-planet's, the gears C C, mounted on the shafts of the lower feed rolls, and the transmittinggear E, arranged between said gears in stationary journals atone side of the machine, in combination with the spur'gears D D, mounted on the shafts of the upper feedrolls and driven by the transmittinggear F through the idlers G G, all arranged in jour nals on a vertically-movable frame at the opposite side of the machine, the gears E and F being connected by the shaft I, the ends of which arejointed to the hubs ofsaid gears, as shown and described.

2. In wood'planers, the gears E and F, the one arranged between the spur-gears of the two lower feed-rollers at one side of the machine and the other between the spur-gears of the upper feed-rollers at the opposite side of the machine, each gear being provided with a long hollow hub, into which is inserted a ring or cup, m, in combination with corresponding knobs or knuckles, i, arranged at either end of shaft I, substantially as shown and described.

3. In wood-plancrs,where two pairs of feedrollers are arranged to operate sim ultaneousl y, the upper feed-rolls with their bearings b b and the train of gears driving said feed-rolls simultaneously,having no communication with the lower feed roll shafts on their side of the machine, in combination with the frame H, (carrying. said train of gears,) arranged between and being supported only and solely by the vertically-movable bearings b b of the upper feed-roll shafts, as shown and described.

JULIUS C. VVILCKE.

Witnesses:

F. T. HALL, A. GAGE. 

